Folding machine



Sept. 21 1926.

E. G. GOBEN FOLDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 ATTORNEY Sept. 21 ,-1926.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 m I M R O T N E V N ATTORNEY Sept. 21 ,1926. 1,600,728

E. G. GOBEN FOLDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 v INVENTOR I Z'dWam/gy 406011.

ATTORNEY Sept. 21 1926.

E. G. GOBEN FOLDING momma Filed Oct. 9, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I NH IHHH.

IIIIITI l I I l INVENTOR l'dwarafiqyaell. BY j ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 21, 1926.

. UNITED sates M N ooiizrANY, I o', ANA.

or NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, A CORPORATION or LOUISE FOLDING MACHINE. I

lipplicati-on filed atar 9, 1924. Serial No. Macia- This invention relates to a folding, machine and the method of folding pieces of material. The invention is an improvement of the machine described in United Statesl etters Patent No. 1,482,605, dated b yfi r 2e The object of thepresent invention is the production of a folding machine incwhich pieces of fabric, cloth or other material are manually fed thereto, and all folded in a similarmanner. u e e The present invention differentiates from LettersPatent No; 1,482,605 in that automatic actuated means are provided tolocate the pieces of material to he folded in proper position' whenthey are fed to the machine, The present ini entionalso prolides means for bringing the loose ends of the material togetheras they arereleased from the machine before being dofied. Other objects will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings 1 represents a side elevation of an exemplification of theimproved folding machine;

Fig. 1? is a right hand side view of some details ofFig. 1;,Fig. 2 shows a top. plan View of Fig. 1 with a fragmentary portion ofone end omitted; indicates an en; larged section of a portion of Fig. 2 on the line 3, 3; Fig. represents a top. plan view of Fig S; 5 shows aneenlarged section of Figafz oir the line 5, 5; isan enlarged section 'of Fig. 2 on the-line 6, 6; Fig. 7 shows top plan view of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 shows an enlarged fragmentary portion of Fig. 1; Fig. 9 shows atop plan view of Fig. 8; Fig; 10 indicates an elevation of a detail; Fig. llis' a left hand side View of Fig. 10, and l2- sh owsa section'o f Fig. 8 on the broken line 12, 12.

i The improved folding machine in this exemplification comprises a pair of similar side frames 20am]. 21, which are positionedin placeby separator bolts 22. A pair of a knee brackets eXtendfromeach of said side frames. Each pair of said brackets supportsan operating platform 25. r

A pair of similar table frames26 are supported upon and bolted to the frames 20 and 21.. Separator bolts 27 are connected ,maie frames 26. A feed table. preferably of Wood comprises the sections 23 and 29 which are hingedto: on ei another by means 68 is fastened a bell crank 69 of the camZBS.

of hin ges 30. I The sections and 29 are sgpported upon and fastened tothe frames A pair ofsimilar journal brackets85 and 36 are supported upon and bolted to the side frames-20 and 21. I Each of the brackets and 36 haseXtending therefrom the) shaped membersf3'7, and at the peaks ofthe latter are journal bearings 38. Journal bearings 40 and 41 are provided for'the journal bracketsfSS, 36. Arzivihgdruni shaft 45 is. journaled inthe journal bearings 40 and a delivery drum shaft 46 is j ournaled in the journalbearilngs tl'.

.Aplu'rality of receiving Wheels 50 with the rims 51 are adjustably connected to the shaft 45, by, means of the set screws Each of said wheels has formed therewith the annular slot 53 A folding. bar 55. with the folding rib 5 6 is connected to the rims 51. of the receiving wheels 50.; Thewhecls 50 in their aggregate cons'titute the receiving drum of the machine. i c

A spur gear 58 faste fed tothe shaft 45 adjacent to the journal bracket 35. Bolts 60 and (Si extend through thewheels 50 and the spur gear 58 to turn them in'unison. A wheel fastened to the shaft 45 by means' of the set screw 66. i .A stationary 69 has formed therewith the supporting arm. YOVUThe, latter is bolted to the journal the shaft 4.5,hy means of the set screws 78,.

and the shaft extends through the'other ends of said arms. 7A lug 7 9 with the flexible buffer blockBO extends from one face of each of the arms -7 6. Grippers :81 are, fastened .tothe shaft 75. Each of the said grippers coacts. witlrone of th'e bu lfer blocks cam 68 with the camv surface 8 0. 011 the shaft 75 adjacentlw the ca m with the arms 8:2 and 83. .To the end of the arm 82- is .joiirnaledaroller Stand to the end: of the arm .83 is pinned one enfd'of the rod which is threaded at "one end'as indicated 35 86. A. guide b'racket S'Y extends from the 'wheel 65 and guides one end of the" rod 85 The roller 84; coactsfwithf the cam surface rOn-"the shaft. 45 is: fastened the cani'.:.92;

'111 the journal bearings 38 of the members 37 v.is' supported an oscillating shaft 93, which has fastened to one end thereof the arm 94. A link has one end pinned to the arm 94 and at its other end is journaled a roller 96 which coacts with the cam surface of the cam 92. A helical spring 97 encircles'the shaft 93 and has one end fastened to the side face of the journal bracket 35. The other end of the spring 97 is fastened to the collar 98., which latter in turn encircles the shaft 93 and is fastened to the same. The tension of the spring 97 maintains the roller 96 in contact with the cam surface of the cam 92. A' block 99 is formed with'and extends from one of the V shaped members 37 and has extending therefrom the guide 100, which maintains the link 95 in proper posit-ion. A plurality of brackets are fastened to the shaft 93 and have connected thereto the adjusting 1 fingers 106. A spur gear is fastened to the shaft 46 and meshes with the spur gear 58.

A plurality of delivery wheels 112 each with an opening 113 in its rim are fastened to the shaft 46, by means of set screws 113" and are respectively in alignment with the receiving wheels 50. The wheels 112 111 the w. aggregate constitute the denvery drum, A

.shaft 114 connects all wheels 112 and the spur gear 110, so that they turn in unison.

-A cam 115 has extending therefrom the bracket 116, which latter is fastened to the journal bracket 35 by means of the bolts 118. An oscillating shaft is journaled in the delivery wheels 112 and in the spur gear 110. j Y

A crank arm 122 has one end fastened to the shaft 120 and to its other end is journaled a cam roller 123 which coacts with the cam surface of the cam 115. A plurality of arms 124 have each one end fastened to the shaft 120. and extend into the opening 113. The other ends of the arms 124 is fastened in the pinching bar 125. A strip of the cam 115.

A tight pulley is fastened to theshaft 45 and a loose pulley 1361s journaled on said shaft A belt 137 is provided for said pulleys. A shifter loop rod 140 has oneend pivoted to the bracket 141- extending from the side frame 21,. and has in turn. pinned theretorone end of the shifter rod 141 having the operating handle 142.

To each of the side frames 20 and 21 is fastened an angle bracket with the horizontal leg 146 having the elongated opening 147 and the inclined leg 149 with the'flange 150. A baffle plate 151 with the curved ends 152 has formed at its ends elongated openings 15 3. Studs 154 extend from the flange through the openings 153. The studs 154 are provided with the thumb screws 155. The baffle plate 151 can be adjusted to different positions on the flanges 150. A supporting arm with an elongated opening 161 is adjustably fastened to each of the legs 146. 'A triangular shaped landing block 165 is bolted to the upper ends of the supporting arms 160. V i 7 To operate the folding machine the pieces of material D to be folded are located upon the feed table having the portions 28 and 29, and are one at a time located by the operator, upon the feed plate 32with one end of each bearing against the adjusting fingers 106, to locate them in proper position upon the receiving drunn consisting of the receiving wheel 50. The pulley 135 is turned by the belt 137 and through the spur gears 58 and 110, the receiving drum is turned in the direction'of the arrow A, and the delivery drum with its wheels 112 is turned in the direction of the arrow B. The grippers 81 of the'receiving drum clamp one end of each piece of material D and car ries it for a portion of each rotation of the receiving wheels. The arms 76 with the grippers 81 can be located in proper position to suit different lengths of cloth or other material to be folded; by loosening the set screws 78 and swinging the wheels 50 until. the circumferential distance between the folding rib 56 and the buffer block 80 equals one half the lengthof each piece of material to be folded after which the set screws are again tightened in place. By the coaction of the roller 84 and the cam- 68 the grippers 81 are opened and closed at the proper time. As the pieces of material are carried upon the receiving drum, the folding rib 56 will engage the middle portion of each, and they are brought with their middle portions opposite the openings 113 ofrthe delivery wheels 112. which occurs when a plane pass ing through the axes of the shaft 45 and 46 is reached by the folding rib 56. At this instant the coaction of'the cam roller 123 with the cam 115 causes the pinching bar 125 to swing to its closed position and the pieces of the material D are drawn from the wheels 50 and brought to the position indi-- cated at D, then D folded with a crease. The pieces of material with their folded portions strike the baflle plate 151 and take the position D with "their suspended portions bearing against each other. The folded pieces of material are next released from the delivery drum and doffed one after the other on the landing block shown at D.

' The adjusting fingers 106 by the coaction of the cam 32, roller 96 and the parts connected thereto are located just above the circumferential surfaces of the receiving wheels with the ends 10!- at the sides of the wheels, as the operator places the pieces of material in proper posit-ion upon the re ceiving Wheels.

Having described my invention What I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1. In a folding machine the combination of a rotatable receiving drum, a rotatable delivery drum adjacent thereto, means to rotate the drums in unison, means to feed pieces of material to be folded to the receiving drum, automatically actuated grippers for the receiving drum to clamp one end of each piece of material thereto for a predetermined portion of each revolution,

thereof, automatically actuated pinching means on the delivery drum to remove each piece of material from the receiving drum at an intermediate portion of each piece of material between its ends, forming a crease therein, each piece of material suspended from the delivery drum at said crease during a portion of each rotation thereof with portions of each piece suspended fr in its crease, a baffle plate below the drums in the path of the portions of the pieces of material to force them together and a landing block adjacent to the bafiie plate to receive the folded pieces of material as they are doffed from the delivery drum.

2. In a folding machine the combination of a pair of frames, a rotatable receiving drum and a rotatable delivery drum adjacent thereto, means to journal both drums to said frames, means to rotate the drums in unison, means to feed pieces of material to be folced to the receiving drum, auto-' matically actuated grippers for the receiving drum to, clamp one end of each piece of material thereto for a predetermined portion of each revolution thereof, automatically actuated pinching means on the delivery drum to remove each piece of material one after the other from the receiving drum at an intermediate portion thereof between its ends forming a crease'in each piece of material, each piece of material suspended from the delivery drum at said crease during a portion of each rotat on thereof with portions of each piece of material suspended from its crease, a pair of;

angle brackets each with an inclined l"'f" fastened to said frames under the drums,

a baffle plate adjustably supported by the said inclined legs, a supporting arm adjust ably connected to each of said angle brackets, said baffle plate in the pathcof the pieces of material to force them together and a landing block connected to said sup-v porting arms to receive the folded pieces of material as they are doffed from the delivery drum.

, 3. In a folding machine the combination ofa pair of frames, a rotatable receiving drum and a rotatable delivery drum adj acent thereto, means to journal both of said drums to the frames, means. to rotate thepiece of material from the receiving drum.

4. In a folding machine the combination of a pair of frames, ournal brackets supported on theframes, sald ournal brackets having members extending therefrom with journal bearings, apair'of shafts journaled in said brackets, a receiving drum fastened to one of said shafts and a delivery drum fastened to the other shaft, means to rotate said shafts inunison, a feed table supported on said frames for pieces of material to be folded, an oscillating shaft supported in the journal bearings in said members extending from said journal bearings, a plurality of adjusting fingers in connection with the latter shaft adapted to approa'ch'the circumferential surface of the receiving drum, a cam fastened to and rotating withthe shaft of the receivingdrum, an arm with one end fastened to the oscillating shaft, 'a'link with one end pinned to the other end of said arm, a

roller journaled to the other end of said link, said roller coacting with said cam, means to guide said link, a springwith one end fastened to one of said members eX- tending from theijournal brackets and the other end in connection with said oscillat- Signed at New Orleans in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana this 16th day of September A. D. 1924.

- EDWARD GUY GoBEN, 

